


abbiamo deciso di seguire questa strada

by KingPreussen



Series: a italiano [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-05-20 23:18:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6029116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingPreussen/pseuds/KingPreussen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"Fuck off," Romano rasped, his voice wet and choked with tears. Veneziano released the breath he was holding and dug further into the blankets until he could see Romano's red-rimmed eyes and mussed hair.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	abbiamo deciso di seguire questa strada

Veneziano held his breath and very quietly pushed the door to his brother's bedroom open, unsure whether he was awake or asleep. All the lights in the room were off, but so was the fan Romano normally kept running while he slept (neither of them liked to get hot while they were sleeping). Veneziano slowly made his way over to the bed and shifted the mound of blankets in the center.

"Fuck off," Romano rasped, his voice wet and choked with tears. Veneziano released the breath he was holding and dug further into the blankets until he could see Romano's red-rimmed eyes and mussed hair. "Veneziano, I said--"

"I know what you said." Veneziano stood on his toes to climb into Romano's absurdly fluffy bed, burrowing his way under the blankets as well and clicking on the bedside fan as he went. Romano huffed in what could have been anger if he didn't also tuck his head under Veneziano's chin and cry into his nightshirt.

Veneziano let him cry a little more, fighting the urge he had since they were children to cry whenever his brother did, and then asked, "What's the matter _fratello_?"

Romano trembled, gripping Veneziano's shirt in his hands. "I'm so stupid," he began, but Veneziano was already cutting off that line of thought with gentle clucks of his tongue.

"None of that, Romano." He pulled the blankets further up and shifted closer until you couldn't tell one from the other. "Tell your little brother what's wrong."

They lay in silence for a few minutes more until Romano's tears all but dried. Eventually, he whispered, "Have you ever been in love?"

Veneziano smiled softly. "We're Italy, silly. We're never _not_ in love."

Romano huffed what could have been a laugh. "I mean, real love. With someone who doesn't even know you exist."

The cool Roman night air picked up and buffeted the windows while Veneziano thought, one hand against his brother's back and the other combing gently through his hair. He thought of Germany first, because he always did, but Germany seemed to be hyperaware of him at all times. There wasn't a sovereign nation that didn't at least know his name… and then he understood.

"Southern Italy," he said formally, feeling Romano tremble against him again. "I highly doubt anyone doesn't know you exist."

"I'm not worth as much as you--"

" _Stop_." Romano froze at the sharp tone in Veneziano's voice, something neither of them had heard for centuries, and then burst into tears again. "Oh, no no, Roma," Veneziano began to apologize, kissing his brother's forehead. "I didn't mean to make you upset. You're worth so much more than you think you are."

Romano pushed at Veneziano's chest until his hold loosened and then looked up into his brother's eyes. "You're _nonno_ 's inheritor, Veneziano," he insisted through sobs, shaking his head. "Who except you will notice when I die?"

"Romano, you're scaring me." Veneziano pressed his cheek against his brother's, holding him like he never wanted to let him go. He couldn't keep himself from tears anymore and knowing he made Romano upset burned in his chest. "You're going to stay with me, _hai promesso_ , we're both Italy and I don't want to hear you talking like this anymore."

By the time Veneziano realized Romano hadn't answered him, his elder brother had cried himself to sleep.


End file.
